Train collision in Egypt leaves dozens dead

Two trains collided in Alexandria on Friday, leaving 40 dead and 133 injured, according to the latest figure from Egypt’s Health Ministry.

The collision involved one train that had been traveling from Cairo and another from Port Said, according to state news agency Al-Ahram. Some 75 emergency vehicles were used to transport the dead and wounded, said Health Ministry spokesperson Dr. Khaled Mojahed.

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a statement offering his condolences to the families of the victims.

General Prosecutor Nabeel Ahmed dispatched a team from his office in Alexandria to the collision site to run the inspection, transport the dead to the nearest hospitals, release the victims to their families after the identification process is completed, and gather accounts from the wounded.

In addition, an engineering team will be dispatched to the scene to examine the causes of the accident and determine the party responsible.

Health Minister Ahmed Emad Eldin Rady is heading to the scene to check on the wounded.

The US Embassy in Cairo released a statement about the crash, expressing solidarity with Egyptians.

Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest city, sits on the Mediterranean coast in the north.